Like a good marriage, building a strong client/agency relationship takes time and a solid understanding of one another up front to ensure a long-term commitment on both sides. Here are some tips to help both sides closely examine key attributes that can lead to a successful, lasting relationship:

• Long-term, sustainable relationships, whether personal or professional, are built on a foundation of trust. All parties must work in the best interests of one another to establish commitment. Ensuring early on that your values and business standards align will further support your efforts for strong alignment into the future. But don’t just make it a surface relationship—go deep within the organization or family to fully ensure that all parties involved on both sides are committed and aligned with the same values.
• Be respectful of one another. Whether choosing a spouse or establishing a business relationship, harassment, verbal abuse, undermining, malicious behavior, or any other disrespectful conduct should not be tolerated. Anyone who consistently exhibits disrespectful behavior is not someone you should be involved with.
• Managing finances properly can make or break a personal or professional relationship. In business, valuable services are typically exchanged for monetary compensation. Be sure you are clear as to the content of your original business plan and evaluate how closely you both meet the criteria necessary to allow you to succeed with your business objectives. All payment terms should be negotiated up front to ensure there is a clear understanding of expectations before moving forward, and alleviate potential harm on either side relative to monetary concerns. The cost of doing business with one another should never outweigh the benefits, and you are doing yourself and your business a disservice by pursuing a relationship that doesn’t offer a win-win for both.
• Value one another! One of the biggest concerns expressed in the break-up of either a marriage or a business relationship is one of the easiest to address simply by communicating with one another! Be fully engaged in both your personal and your professional relationships and you will find the rewards are well worth it.
• When you get married, your contractual agreement with your spouse is, well, undefined from a written aspect. While not all business exchanges involve a formal written contract, purchase orders are most often considered to be your binding contract—whether issuing or receiving a purchase order or contract, be sure that the terms of the negotiation do not place you in an unfavorable position. You may be better served to walk away if you are unable to successfully negotiate any compromises before your commitment begins.

Weigh all the facts, examine the potential consequences, and make sure you are closely aligned before committing to your relationships. Then, be committed! Do what you say you’re going to do, further enhancing the trust, respect and value you have established in both your personal and professional relationships.

Patti, Director of Sales & Marketing